


I Lost You Once

by LeanaVine



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Kylo Ren/Rey, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren Redemption, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, May the Force Be With You, Movie: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Kylo Ren, Rating May Change, Ren and Rey knew each other before, Rewriting the movie, Romantic Angst, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoilers, Tags May Change, The Dark Side of the Force, The Force, The Force Ships It, Unresolved Romantic Tension, and that's all i'll say because spoilers, for a little while
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24141304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeanaVine/pseuds/LeanaVine
Summary: Kylo Ren lost Rey once, and he doesn't plan on letting her get away again. (Re-uploaded from Fanfic . net. Takes place during the events of TFA with some rewriting.)
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *Obi-wan Kenobi voice* Hello there...
> 
> I know I haven't uploaded anything in forever, and I apologize for that. It's been hard to find motivation to do anything, and when I do get motivated, it's usually to work on my art. But, I've been watching a lot of Clone Wars recently with my boyfriend, and it kinda reignited my passion for Star Wars.
> 
> Also, after the release of The Rise of Skywalker, I remembered how much I loved this ship, and I subsequently remembered this fic. I'm currently rereading what I had uploaded at fanfiction . net and editing it. I'll upload the new chapters here as they're ready. I'm also probably going to change a few things, because I haven't worked on this story in a year and a half, lol.
> 
> A couple changes that I've made that might be worth mentioning off the bat: Ren knows Rey from their past. Also, she was seven when she was left on Jakku in this story, not five. Their age difference is still the same, and I won't say how Ren knows Rey yet, but just know that he does, or this whole chapter will be confusing, lol.
> 
> Hopefully you'll all enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Kylo Ren dragged Lieutenant Mitaka by his throat, using only the Force, hauling the man in front of him. He continued to hold the man there, choking him a little less now so that he may speak. Even with the helmet masking his face, Ren was visibly angry, trembling. "What girl?" he asked, his jaw clenched.

He loosened his grip more, allowing the lieutenant to catch a single breath "I-I don't know, sir! A girl- from Jakku- a pilot!" Ren's eyes widened, and he released the soldier, who fell to his knees. Gasping, holding his throat, he added, "That-that's all...that's all I know, sir."

Ren turned away, his hands resting at his sides, still shuddering a bit. "Leave," he mumbled. The soldier scrambled to his feet, dusted himself off, then left - still walking, but quickly. Ren waited until the man had gone, then removed his helmet, struggling for air as if he'd been gagged. It couldn't be. Could it? No.

He shook his head, dark eyes darting around the floor. His mind was a blur of memories and possibilities. What if it was her? Was this fate? Ren could feel something warm rising in his chest, creeping up his neck. The Light - he could feel it, slowly prying open his ribs in an effort to get to his soul. Feebly, he pushed against it, closing his eyes. He wouldn't allow himself to feel hope, not yet. If this pilot was Rey, he would make sure that she would join him. Only then would he permit himself to yearn for her as he had in the past.

* * *

"There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?"

Even now, Ren's mind still wandered. Attempting to rein in his thoughts, he answered with a quiet, "Yes." But his answer was honest. Amidst everything, Ren had felt something - a fluctuation in the force. This wasn't a disturbance, necessarily, but he felt it in his core, and _that_ disturbed him. The invasion of Light that had first begun when he heard of the female from Jakku had grown, until now it weighed him down, and he felt tired.

Supreme Leader Snoke pointed a bony finger at the dark, young man, his gravelly voice quietly reverberating off the walls. "There's something more. The droid we seek is aboard the Millennium Falcon. In the hands of your father...Han Solo."

Ren was taken aback by this. First the girl, and now... He was glad for his helmet, that it covered his surprised expression. "He means nothing to me," Ren stated, his voice faltering slightly. Thinking of his father, after all these years, it was strange. His insides quivered, but outwardly, he remained still as a statue.

"Even you, master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test," Snoke told him. Ren knew that the supreme leader could sense his true feelings, but the dark figure's master kept his own thoughts on the situation to himself.

Ren thought of Rey, and his heart foundered once more. He pictured her brown eyes, her smile, her giggle as she called out that name that had been lost to him for so long. His gaze didn't stray from his master, as he struggled to regain his composure. "By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced," was his reply, attempting to clear his mind and stay true to his word.

As if sensing his internal conflict, Snoke retorted, "We shall see." He paused, leaning forward in his throne. "We shall see," he repeated, the hologram fading away until he was gone.

* * *

"Forgive me." Ren stared at the floor, sitting in a chair with his shoulders slumped in defeat. He inhaled deeply. "I feel it again." He was reluctant to look up, but did. "The pull to the Light."

Rey. He thought about Rey. He imagined her sitting in the long grass that was brushing past her with the breeze. She was meditating, taking even breaths, just as he was now. Her long eyelashes laid against her rosy cheeks, and there was a slight curve to her mouth. Peace... Ren felt so much peace, picturing her in his mind like that.

He was pulled from his reverie, looking at the floor in shame. All the things he'd done, the people he'd killed, and still, the Light called to him through this girl. He looked back up at Vader's deformed mask. "Supreme Leader senses it." He took another deep breath. "Show me again, the power of the Darkness...and I will let nothing stand in our way." The image of Rey in his mind was swallowed up by the Darkness and a rumble that could've been a whisper, or breathing. The Darkness overtaking him again, Ren felt relieved, but also a bit saddened. Desperate, he asked, "Show me...Grandfather..." Yes, now there was nothing but the Darkness and the quiet voice. "And I will finish...what you started."

His heart no longer heavy, Ren stood and left his chambers, then paused. Without Vader's presence, he was left again with that picture of Rey, meditating. Except now, she cracked open an eye, peeking at him, then giggled.

Immediately, he turned back to re-enter his room. He looked to Vader's melted helmet, but didn't feel the pull of the Darkness. Instead, he could hear Rey, calling to him. _"I can't focus with you staring at me like that,"_ she said in his mind.

Ren finally broke. He groaned, rubbing a hand over his eyes, his helmet in his other hand. He dropped it to the floor with a loud _thud_ , and collapsed onto his bed, head in his hands.

Rey called out to him, her grin wide, but no sound escaped her mouth. Even so, Ren knew the name that she was using - a name he'd long since abandoned. The sunshine lit stray hairs on her head like strands of gold, and in the glow of the afternoon, Rey's eyes looked like raw honey. She stopped running through the tall grass to reach back for him, her smile growing as she called out his name again. _"Take my hand!"_ she demanded sweetly.

He was powerless to resist. All these years later, she still had so much control over him. He'd always been a pushover around her, and he began to fear that he would always be putty in her hands. Her warm, petite hands that beckoned to him now. _"Let's go swimming!"_ she called, laughing and lacing their fingers together.

A tear streaked down Ren's face, and he quickly swept it away, as if afraid for anyone to see. How weak she made him feel, how much he missed her, how much she called to him, even now. Rey was the goddess of Light that called to him in his dark loneliness, but he had to resist. If he gave in to her, everything he'd worked for would be gone.

Unless.

Unless he could convince her to join them. To let him teach her in the ways of the force. Like he once had. If she joined the Dark Side, they could be together without any consequences. But, if he were being honest with himself, could he really see Rey killing traitors and spies? She was sunshine personified, and to extinguish that light would be an unforgivable crime. Still, it was the only way that they could be together.

If that was even something she would want.

Would she recognize him? Remember him?

The intercom beeped. "Sir, an update."

Ren remained still for a moment before walking to the console in his room, pressing the intercom button. "Go ahead."

"Sir, we have received word from a mercenary named Netal that the droid we seek is on Takodana, in the hands of a Resistance supporter named Maz Kanata."

Without hesitation, Ren asked, "Who was accompanying the droid? Kanata and who else?" Was Rey still with them? Knowing her, she'd be determined to see this through to the end.

There was a pause on the other side, before the soldier replied, "The two fugitives - FN-2187 and the female pilot from Jakku - along with two known smugglers - a man named Solo and a Wookie."

So she was still with them. Ren buzzed back, "Prepare my ship for departure to Takodana." He sighed, walking over to where he had left his helmet, and bent down, picking it up off the smooth, black floor. He stared at it for a moment before pulling it on over his head.

* * *

Ren could sense both of them, down on the planet together - Rey and his father, Han Solo. He couldn't help but wonder, had Han recognized Rey? Did she recall him? What if his father had been telling Rey about how evil he was, filling her mind with pictures of Ren slaughtering innocents? He imagined Rey wide eyed, covering her mouth, holding back tears, and it looked so real in his mind that it made him sick. He didn't want her to imagine him as this evil person. If only he could convince her to see things his way.

"Sir," a lieutenant stated, approaching Ren's left, "we're about to land."

Nodding to him over his shoulder, Ren hurriedly walked to the exit platform, eager to get off the shuttle and find Rey. Yes, he was here for the droid, for the map to Luke Skywalker, but Rey was his first priority. If the others did their jobs right, there was no reason they couldn't obtain the droid _and_ the girl.

That was when he felt it. There was a dramatic shift in the Force, unlike what Ren had already been feeling. This was massive. It had to be her, but was everything okay? This wasn't a bad feeling, but it was heavy on his soul. Snoke had spoken of an awakening, and, while Ren agreed that there had been a new pulsation in the Force before, this left a huge impact in the Force, as if the person that had awoken were now learning their potential. Rey was becoming aware of her new powers, so it seemed.

As he walked through the crumbled remains of Maz Kanata's castle, his eyes darted wildly, looking for anyone that resembled the girl he'd grown up with. It occurred to him that he wasn't entirely sure what Rey looked like now. Would he be able to point her out from a distance? Look for a brunette running away from the chaos, he told himself.

Then a stormtrooper called out to him from his right. "Sir, the droid was spotted heading west." Ren turned to him, but before any questions could escape him, the trooper added, "With a girl."

Without a second thought, Ren quickly turned and began sprinting. He didn't need anyone's assistance, or their opinions on his behavior. He just needed her, and now she was so close. He wanted to reach out to her, let her know not to be afraid, but how could he do that? He hadn't seen her in roughly 12 years. The new whisper in the Force was too large to be focused into one place, so he couldn't use it as a guide either. It was strange, this new fluctuation in the Force. It was almost as if someone important had been brought to life, because this was similar to the feeling he got when a Force-wielder died, but better. Just how powerful was Rey? If this feeling was indeed Rey.

No, he couldn't doubt it. This just had to be her.

His feelings led him into the forest, away from the battle. There were a couple dead troopers out here, so the girl must be armed. Funny to think that the young girl he had once known had grown into a woman with good aim, but that shouldn't be a surprise. He just never remembered seeing her hold a blaster before.

Then, he spotted her. A beautiful, young woman in sandy clothes, waving a blaster around with fear in her eyes. Her round, chocolate brown eyes. Ren felt warmth in his stomach, and stopped in his tracks. He reminded himself to take a deep breath. She was stunning, even covered in dirt and full of terror. He crouched, remembering that, in his mask, it wouldn't be possible for her to recognize him, and she would definitely fire upon him. Ren attempted reaching out to her through the Force, trying to flow his consciousness with hers. If he could just give her calm feelings, maybe she would let her guard down a little, just long enough for him to make it obvious that he meant her no harm.

This didn't seem to work, however. Conversely, she began looking all around her, frantically pointing that blaster in all directions. She must've felt the intrusion in her mind, and was looking for the source. _"That didn't work,"_ Ren thought to himself. There was no other way to go about this, apparently. With that, the man clad in black drew his lightsaber.

She gasped, firing at him, and he deflected the blasts easily. She was backed into a rock face, then fled, climbing up the rugged landscape behind her. Ren sighed, following her. The girl continued to fire, backing away from him, panting in fear. Ren finally pushed her arm behind her using the Force, tired of chasing after her. She hadn't planned on talking. Even now, she remained silent, trembling slightly.

He finally had her in his grasp - this girl that he had dreamt of for so many years, always wishing for a way to get her back. He thought of the times that he had considered leaving the Jedi temple to look for her after she was first taken from him, how he had begged Uncle Luke to do _something_. And now, he had her. He had her, and she was petrified. So was he.

Swallowing his doubt, Ren slowly approached her, stopping about five feet away. "The girl I've heard so much about," he finally spoke. She struggled against him, fighting the Force that held her. He advanced again, looking her up and down, until she was at arm's length. Rey was so close that he could count the freckles on her face, which hadn't been there when they were younglings. She was even more breathtaking up close.

He knew that he should threaten her, use force, but he didn't want to. Ren didn't want her to fear him. He'd wanted everyone to fear and respect him, but all he wanted from Rey was her admiration and affection. That would come with time, he thought. Now, he needed to work on earning her trust. Holding her in place wasn't going to get that, but otherwise he could be killed. She wasn't a terrible shot by any means.

Using the Force, Ren tossed Rey's blaster to the side, and she gasped when he let her go. Her first reaction was to brace, as if about to lunge for the weapon, but Ren said, "Please, don't do that." She froze. "I don't want to bind you. Don't make me do so again." Her breathing was shaky as she slowly straightened. Lifting her chin, she tried to exude confidence. The man in black licked his lips nervously under the helmet. "You know what I've come for."

He was slightly surprised when she quickly said, "I'm not telling you anything." Her voice shook, but he knew that she was stubborn, and would be true to her word.

Ren looked down, momentarily letting his guard fall. He could hear her exhale, and he could feel her thinking about going for the blaster again. Without looking up, he raised a hand, reaching out to her once again with the Force. Rey's breath hitched, and he could feel her tense. He picked through her thoughts quickly, wanting to get this over with so they could talk properly. Then he looked up at her. "The map...you've seen it?" It was a question, as if to confirm what he was hearing echo in her mind.

He almost pulled out his saber when there were footsteps behind him. "Sir, Resistance fighters." Ren turned to see two stormtroopers standing there. "We need more troops," the officer stated.

"Pull the division out," Ren told them, turning back to Rey. "Forget the droid. We have what we need." She was shuddering, realizing that he was going to take her with them. Since she'd seen the map, it wouldn't be hard to access her memories and see the map for himself. He waved a hand over her, and she collapsed into his arms. Without thinking about it, he pulled her tight to his chest. Rey's head lolled against his shoulder, and her lashes fluttered, as if she were dreaming. He looked back to the stormtroopers, who were staring at him. "Move out."

"Yes sir," they both replied, turning and walking back towards the ships. Ren gazed back down at his new captive. How he wanted to take his mask off, feel her breath against his face. He ever so gently reached up, pushing some stray hair out of her eyes. Then he stood straight, carrying her in both arms, and started in the direction of his shuttle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels really short, and I'm sorry for that. It's actually two old chapters that I edited together, surprisingly enough. Thank you to those of you that left kudos and comments on the first chapter! Feedback of any kind is very much appreciated. Also, if you decide to head over to fanfiction . net and look up the original copy of this story, you're more than welcome to. Just note that the chapters on ao3 have been edited from fanfic and are longer.
> 
> Anyway, happy reading!

Rey looked peaceful as she rested on the containment slab. And Ren felt a little creepy to be staring at her like this, but he was anxious for her to wake up. He didn't want her to wake up alone in this room and begin to panic.

_"Yes, and waking up to see a man in a mask staring at her should ease her nerves,"_ Ren thought to himself sarcastically.

There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much he needed to ask. What did she remember? Would she even be able to tell who he was? Would she care?

Twelve years... So much time had passed since he last saw her. If only she could know how much he always thought about her - she was always on his mind, no matter how long it had been. In all honesty, there were those nights that Ren wondered if she were even still alive. He didn't know if she'd been adopted by another family, or left to fend for herself somewhere. Were there people looking for her now? A family that she'd left behind? He pictured her smiling at a mother that wasn't her blood. He imagined her in the arms of another man, looking up at him dreamily.

Ren shook the thoughts away. She was right here, after all. He could reach inside her mind and answer these questions for himself if he wanted to. She was completely defenseless, and wouldn't be able to fight back like she had in the woods. Ren reached out with the Force, and felt her presence with it. She was afraid, but mostly calm, for the time being. He sighed. Could he really violate her, now that he finally had her back? Ren had told himself earlier that before he could earn her love, he would need to win back her trust, and invading her mind now wasn't going to get him any progress.

Suddenly she woke with a start, gasping and jumping against her restraints. First she looked at her bound hands, then her eyes focused on the dark figure knelt before her. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice full of fear. Her breath shuddered, but she was trying to appear calm.

Ren was frozen for a second. He hadn't thought about how he would conduct himself, or what he would say. "You're my guest," he finally replied.

She quickly responded, "Where are the others?"

He rolled his eyes under the helmet. Why did she care about them, when she hardly knew them? A lifelong friend was kneeling before her, and all she could think about were those strangers? "You mean the murderers, traitors, and thieves you call friends?" he all but spat. She stared at him, expectantly, curiously, not denying any of it. "You'll be relieved to hear I have no idea," he told her. He was hoping that this news could help relax her, but it didn't. He could feel her anger, even without reaching into her mind. "You still want to kill me?" He was a little shocked at this. Rey had never been a violent person, so where was all of this hatred coming from?

Her voice trembled slightly as she stated, "That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask."

Ren stared at her. Creature in a mask? He knew that the helmet would make her uneasy, but to refer to him as something less than a person? Without a second thought, he was taking the helmet off and standing before her, seeing her with his own eyes for the first time in over a decade, and he was taken aback. She was even more remarkable this way. Her breath hitched as well as she stared at him. He felt a little embarrassed. Was her surprise at the fact that he was, indeed, human? Or did she simply like what she saw? He wouldn't let himself hope for the latter.

He put the helmet down, feeling her stare at him the whole time. When he looked back at her, she regained her composure, putting off an air of defiance once again. Ren approached her, and now she stared forward, refusing to even look at him. He held back the urge to take her chin in his hand and force her to look at him. _"Patience,"_ he reminded himself. "Tell me about the droid," he prompted.

She took a deep breath before telling him, "He's a BB unit with a selenium drive and a thermal hyperscan vindicator-"

"He's carrying a section of a navigational chart," he responded, looking away in annoyance. This passed, and he continued. "We have the rest, recovered from archives of the Empire. We need the last piece." He came a step closer and heard Rey hold her breath. "I know you've seen the map," he told her. "In the forest, I searched your mind, and I saw pieces of it. The droid showed it to you. It trusted you." Her fists clenched, and she closed her eyes, as if holding back tears. Ren's jaw tightened. "You know I can take whatever I want." She looked at him with wide eyes. "You know that I can reach into your mind, and see whatever I want to see. Nothing would be secret."

She pulled against her restraints now. "Let me go," she pleaded quietly.

"Tell me what I want to know, then."

"You said it yourself," she snapped, looking into his dark eyes, "the droid trusted me." Her eyes were begging.

Ren paused, then sighed. "I know." She looked a bit confused, then frightened when he raised his hand. "You can resist as much as you like," he assured her. "You don't have to betray your friend for my sake." He reached into her mind with the Force, and they both tensed. "Don't be afraid of me," he asked, but he knew that she wasn't listening. Her mind was frantic, scrambling as she tried to hide everything from him.

He decided not to go for the map right away. Instead, he'd do a little digging - for intimidation purposes, of course. He looked into her life back home, eager to find out if there was a family waiting for her on Jakku. He saw...nothing. Nothing, but Rey scavenging during the day, staring at the stars at night. "You're so lonely..." He saw the tallies on the wall. She was counting the days, but for what? Ren saw her at the age of seven, being dumped on Jakku, screaming at a ship as it flew away, and his heart sank. The worst part was that she had always expected them to come back for her. "So afraid to leave..." If only he could've told her that they had never planned on coming back for her. Did she remember who had left her there? Ren saw her laying on her ramshackle bed at night, her hands folded over her chest, staring at the ceiling. "At night, desperate to sleep..." He uncovered a vision of an island he hadn't seen before. "You imagine an ocean," he stated, a little smile coming to his face. "I see it... I see the island," he told her. Ren could imagine birds cawing, waves crashing. He could smell the salt in the air, feel it on his skin. Tears began streaming down her face. He wanted to stop, but he knew he couldn't, and even worse, he wanted even more to keep pressing her mind for information. Not just for the map, but to see what she remembered.

He reached further. He had to know if she remembered him and the others. Ren thought he was uncovering a memory of her childhood, but instead saw...his father, wrinkled with gray hair. He tensed. This was a recent memory, not what he had meant to see. He saw them together, his father teaching her how to aim a blaster on Takodana. Gritting his teeth he mumbled, "And Han Solo. You feel like he's the father you never had. He would've disappointed you."

"Get out of my head," the girl commanded, tired of this game.

Ren pulled away. "Don't be afraid," he whispered, unsure of himself. "I feel it too." There were no memories in Rey's mind before the one of her being dumped on Jakku, but even so, she felt the same pull that Ren did. He knew she felt it. "You don't remember me," he said quietly, "but I never forgot you."

She stared at him, confused and scared. "What are you talking about?"

"Rey, come with me." He was saying it before he could stop himself. "I can help you remember; I can teach you about the Force, just like I did when we were young." He was so close to her now, she was caught between panting and holding her breath in fear.

"What are you saying? You're lying," she murmured. "I...I’ve never met you before. I don't know you. Get away from me!"

Then, there was a huge shift in the Force, and it knocked Ren back. He stumbled, almost falling over. He practically growled at her as he whipped back around to face her. "Why are you being so stubborn?! I'm offering to help you!" He was so blinded by his need for her, that Ren had hardly realized that Rey had just used the Force to push him away.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, tears pouring out of her eyes as she gasped for air. "You're just trying to trick me, get inside my head again! I've never had anyone, didn't you see that?!"

Ren was speechless, but seething. Not only didn't she recall their childhood together, but she refused to believe it could even be possible. Of course she wouldn't want to associate herself with a _creature in a mask_. In a fit of rage, he stomped out of the room, calling to a stormtrooper, "Guard her! Don't let her out of your sight." Then, he was gone.

* * *

"This scavenger, resisted you?" Snoke asked, frustration and concern in his loud voice.

Pointing behind himself, but staring into the face of his master, Ren shouted, "She is strong with the Force! Untrained but stronger than she knows!" He thought of Rey pushing him away with the Force, and his stomach sank. He'd been a fool. He hadn't even tried to get the map fragment from her; he'd only cared about seeing how much she remembered. It was more than disappointing that there were no memories of himself or the others at the temple. It had all been a waste of time, and now, his neck was on the line. He couldn't focus on Rey, or how heartbroken he felt. He had to lie, make it seem that she had been too powerful to pry the map from. While it was true that Rey was strong with the Force, it would've been somewhat easy to take the map from her mind, Ren assumed.

"And the droid?" Snoke angrily demanded to know.

General Hux entered the throne room, approaching the platform from behind Ren. "Ren believed it was no longer valuable to us," he hissed. Ren looked back at him for a moment, then turned back forward, refusing to look directly at Snoke out of shame. "That the **girl** was all we needed." Hux then stood next to Ren, looking up at the disgruntled supreme leader. "As a result, the droid has most likely been returned to the hands of the enemy. They may have the map already," Hux told his leader, standing firm. He had no reason to fear - this wasn't his fault.

It was Ren's, and he knew it. They all knew it. Ren just couldn't let them know the real reason why he had failed.

"Then the Resistance must be destroyed before they get to Skywalker," Snoke told them, looking away in thought.

"We have their location," Hux alerted him. "We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system."

Snoke looked slightly relieved for a moment, then he scowled again. "Good. Then we will crush them once and for all." He narrowed his dark eyes. "Prepare the weapon."

As Hux turned to leave, Ren took a step closer to the supreme leader, almost pleading, "Supreme Leader, I can get the map from the girl. I just need your guidance." Ren felt desperate and torn. He needed his master now, more than ever. The pull to the Light was even stronger now, and growing. He wanted to help Rey, to make her remember him. Despite his anger that she hated him, he refused to return those feelings. To him, she was still that small girl from the temple, so different from the person that she had grown into. What was her hatred stemming from? He tried to keep these thoughts secret, afraid of his master learning the truth.

The giant leaned forward in his throne. "If what you say about this girl is true, bring. Her. To. Me." The way he said this was so menacing, and Ren knew he could only mean to either turn Rey to their side, or kill her. His heart dropped. Ren knew which outcome was more likely.

* * *

_"What did he mean,"_ Rey wondered, _"when he said he could help me remember? Remember what?"_ She pulled slightly against her restraints, her arms too tired to keep fighting. _"What does he want me to remember? I never met him before today, but he seemed like he knew me. What does that mean?"_ She recalled her earliest memory, of the sand whirling around her on Jakku, calling out to a ship as it left, Unkar Plutt dragging her away by her arm. She winced at this vision, but then thought, _"Did Ren know who was on the ship? Did he know my parents?"_ Her heart fluttered momentarily, then she shook her head. _"No,"_ she told herself _, "this is what he wants, to confuse me. He's just trying to scramble my thoughts so I'll be defenseless. I can't trust anything he says."_

She looked around, as much as her restraints would allow. _"I need to get out of here before he comes back,"_ she thought, _"but how? Even if I got rid of the cuffs, there's still a guard at the door."_ Then it came to her, the memory of pushing away Kylo Ren using the Force. How had she done that? Could she do it again? Rey focused hard, reaching out to the Light with her mind. Her eyes fell closed, and she exhaled. She imagined the Force swirling around the guard, picking him up and hurling him against the wall.

Then she heard the stormtrooper say, "What-" and there was a loud _clunk_. She quickly opened her eyes and turned her head as far as she could. She thought she saw an arm on the floor, from where the trooper had collapsed.

Her body tensed again, and she shook slightly, eyes wide. What just happened? Had she...really done it? Honestly, she'd only partially expected that to work. Rey snapped herself out of her shock, and quickly began pulling on her restraints again, then paused. Could she use the Force to open those as well? She concentrated hard again on the Light, and squeezed her eyes closed. Faintly, Rey could hear grumbling coming from the unconscious trooper, and she knew he wouldn't be incapacitated for long. Using the Force, she took in her surroundings - namely, the controls on the side of the containment slab. There was a switch to her right, and she assumed that would be the one to release the shackles. Hopefully, it wouldn't trigger an alarm or begin a sort of torture regimen.

Rey focused on the switch, picturing it flipping over, just like she had with the guard. Then, she heard a _click_ , and the restraints popped open. She couldn't help but gasp, then let out a shuddering laugh before she stood. What was happening? How was she capable of doing these things? The stormtrooper was moving a little, but Rey didn't want to stand around and wait for him to wake up. She approached the door, but saw that there was an interface for what looked like an ID card. Looking back down at the trooper, she knew that she had to be quick. Rey began searching him for his card, unaware that heavy footsteps were approaching.

Once she found the card, she touched it to the interface, and the door opened. She started to leave, but then paused. Rey reached down, taking the blaster from the man on the floor, who was stirring. "Wait," he croaked out, but she was already running out the door, and straight into-

"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Ren questioned, his voice soft but disappointed.

Flabbergasted, Rey was motionless, until the stormtrooper popped up behind her, locking her in a choke hold. She gasped and choked, dropping the blaster with a _clank_ and reaching up, attempting to pry away his arm. Ren's jaw clenched, and he rapidly threw his hand up, sending the trooper sprawling across the floor. Rey doubled over, holding her throat, but then there was a tight grip on her arm, pulling her along. "Rey, run!" Ren shouted at her, dragging her by her wrist. Oxygen struggled into her lungs as she tried to comprehend what was happening, fumbling as she attempted to keep up with the man dressed in black. He could've been leading her into a trap. She didn't want to trust him, but didn't have much of a choice.


End file.
